


district.

by lovelyggxks



Category: BROCKHAMPTON (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gang World, Angst, Multi, Some Fluff, Wrongful Imprisonment, a little bit of mafia, bh are in a gang, escaping prison, illegal stuff, iridescence era, more members are there but later, platonic bearthai, saturation 3, slowthai is in here too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 17:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21677263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyggxks/pseuds/lovelyggxks
Summary: they remember when it all happened. the night, the time, the endeavor. but they never knew how it happened. what was the motive?ian sat there, motionless. how long have they been trapped in these walls? he stopped counting. he didn't know how he got there, but he knew damn well that he wasn't staying. and it seemed that everyone agreed.or; brockhampton are illegally imprisoned and must set out on their own on a crazy journey.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER; ameer will be referenced slightly but that is for the sake of the story and he will not be with the boys so no worries.

trapped. they were trapped. trapped in this large room. there was no sign of life other than themselves and the food that would come in their room every other 12 hours. there was a door as hard as steel. the walls were white and there was a carpet floor. they only had blankets to sleep with; there were no beds so they had to sleep on the floor. and lastly there was one tv that could only be watched for a certain time period.

ian looked around. there were eight people. himself, matt, joba, dom, merlyn, ciaran, romil, and kevin doan. he had no clue where everyone else was. where was ameer? he was with them the night they were taken. do the others know where they are? was this some kind of sick joke?

ian sat in thought. he still didn't know what they were there for or the problem at hand. he doesn't even know how he got here in general. days have passed (he thinks), surely they'll be out sooner or later. he didn't know when that would be.

deep in thought, ian didn't notice someone was calling for him until he felt a shake. he looked up to see joba sitting next to him, worrisome eyes looking into his. 

"how are you holding up?" joba asked tiredly. obviously this place is taking a toll on him too. in all honesty, ian didn't know. 

"i don't..." he started. "i don't know, joba. i feel healthy i guess, but... i'm scared." it was true. his body honestly felt fine. he wasn't physically damaged. but mentally, so much was happening. 

joba seemed to feel that way too even though he tried not to show it. with him being one the eldest, ian guessed it came with instinct. 

"i think we all are, ian." joba looked at everyone else. ian followed suit. 

scared was an understatement. everyone looked lost, gone from reality. it was either the situation had finally sunk in, or they truly didn't understand what was happening to them.

merlyn was sat in the corner with romil. he was looking into his hands, almost as if he was contemplating something. dom was pacing on the other side of the room, deep in thought as well. matt sat with his knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on them. and lastly, ciaran was sat cross-legged as kevin doan rested his head on ciaran's lap. ciaran would run his fingers through doan's hair here and there, almost like a soundless soothing mechanism. 

poor doan. he was dragged all into this. he shouldn't even be here. ian sighed. 

"do you, perhaps, remember anything thing from the night we were taken, ian?" joba asked, sounding a little hopeful, as if he was trying to find a way to soften the situation. "if you can remember anything peculiar, or strange that could probably help us, we can find out what this is. what we're here for."

of course he would be asked. he was the leader of all of this crap. but as of now, he can't think of anything. it was like a dam or wall was blocking any memory he had from the day this all began. was he that guilty? was repressing the memories supposed to give him some sort of comfort? well, it didn't.

ian shook his head. "no, not now at least. everything is a mess to me."

joba's small hopeful expression withered into nothing but a sorry smile. "oh.. sorry." 

"no. don't be. you're actually getting onto something here." ian stood up slowly. he looked across the room expectantly. someone must had known what had happened to them.

"do any of you guys remember anything? huh? do you know the events that lead up to this? did you see anyone weird? anything weird?" ian watched as all of the previously detached beings turned their attention to him. they stayed quiet. he guessed that meant they didn't. 

that couldn't be right. 

"dom?" ian saw dom tense. 

"nah." dom responded despondently. "i got nothing."

"merlyn? romil? matt?" 

merlyn and romil simply shook their heads. matt didn't even cooperate. ian scoffed. 

"ciaran?" ian was basically pleading. there was no way that no one remembered. 

just as ciaran opened his mouth, another voice that wasn't his spoke up. 

"i do."

it was kevin doan. doan's eyes only met ian's for a second before they looked back into nothingness. 

"for some reason I do. but i know what happened, from the morning of the day we were taken to now. i remember it all."

from that declaration everyone gathered around kevin doan slowly. doan sat up as well and soon eveyone was sat around doan in a storytime fashion. 

"can you tell us, kevin?" matt asked softly. "tell us everything you know." 

kevin doan nodded and took a deep breath. 

"the day was december 12, 2017."


	2. 1. boogie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kevin doan reminisces over the events of the gang's abduction.

  
the day was december 12, 2017. 

  
kevin doan looked around warily in his car which was resting in an alley way. when he saw that the sign was clear once again, he sighed. he was always dragged into these "jobs" as ian called them. 

kevin watched his blue painted hands. he slowly got sick of the scene. ian was always one for being creative, but blue paint? how was this supposed to help their cause in any way? 

he could be home right now. he could be watching bts vlives. he could be watching jimin vlives. doan groaned for the umpteenth time that day.

suddenly a loud noise could be heard. was that a gunshot? he looked in the rear view mirror and saw ian and the gang. dom, matt, joba, ciaran, and merlyn. they ran frantically to the car. 

ciaran opened the door first and plopped down onto a seat quickly. he was clutching a bag tightly to his chest. everyone soon fit into the car. 

"go go go." they all practically screamed.

that was the only instruction kevin needed before he finally floored the gas and zoomed away. he could see figures trying to follow but stopping dead in their tracks. 

"aye, thanks again kevin." dom smiled. 

"no problem." kevin doan faked a smile. how does he always find himself in this situation? either he was driving away or making some sort of plan for them to follow. 

"we should be on our way to hk's place right now." ian started. "ameer, romil, and rob will be there." 

"then we can clean up and start moving." matt completed ian's thought. 

kevin wanted to roll his eyes. of course they're moving again. they've already went from texas to l.a. now who knows where they're going. 

kevin doan complied with the plan and continued to drive until a familiar house made its way into view. kevin parked the car and everyone moved out quickly. they were on a time crunch. 

kevin took his time when getting out of the car and locking the door. all of this runaway driving has him pooped. once he was inside the house, he was greeted with the sights of a very busy environment. 

hk and romil were packing everyone's clothing and possessions. rob was distributing all of the money they stole within the past month. the paper stacked on the table made kevin's mouth run dry. how much money were these dudes taking? 

after washing the stupid paint off of his face and hands, he found himself motionless on a couch. watching the hectic scene in front of him.

"bro you good?" 

kevin doan jumped slightly and turned to where the voice came from. it was a ameer. 

ameer was a bit of a mystery to kevin doan. ameer gave him a mixed feeling whenever they would interact. but the older was all smiles and funny remarks. surely it was all in his head.

"yeah." kevin spoke on impulse. "yeah of course." he nodded. "I just, I really don't know where this is going." 

"aw..." ameer cooed. "well... I'm sure you'll be where you should be soon." 

  
"um... I guess so..." 

  
the mood was ruined by a booming voice. 

"alright boys! load up the cars we have to go!" 

from there the plan was simple. drive from los angeles to las vegas and stay for a night or two at kiko's house. that, he could do. 

kevin checked the seats in the car for roll call. dom, ian, joba, matt, merlyn, romil, him, and ameer. alright, they were all set. hk and rob left before them in the smallest car that held all of their belongings.

  
hours have passed, the members were asleep. all except for kevin. he was currently fighting to keep his eyes trained on the road as he chugged his fifth can of a random energy drink. 

why was he doing this to himself? what was the point of this? why is he encouraging this behavior? what is holding him back from leaving? 

it was like he had an epiphany right then and there. he couldn't condone this anymore. he was going to leave. 

a rest stop could be seen from about a mile away so kevin pulled up in the parking lot and woke everyone up. the only person to leave the car was ameer. he mentioned something about needing to 'pee really bad' before sprinting out quickly.

"ian, I have to tell you something." 

  
by this point, most of the members were fast asleep once more as they waited for ameer. ian looked up tiredly. 

"go ahead." ian spoke quietly. most likely due to the fact that his voice was tired. 

"um..." kevin started his thought. "I can't do this anymore, ian. I don't feel like I can keep up with everything." 

  
kevin waited expectantly for the worst. but, nothing came. there was no outburst. no questioning. just a silence. 

  
"oh..." 

  
there was a follow up of more silence.

  
"is it because of what we do?" 

  
kevin, at a lost for words, could only nod a bit. "yeah... I'm sorry, ian." 

  
"it's no problem doan. you've helped us a lot. when we get to kiko's place you can stay with him until he's able to take you back home." ian took the situation surprisingly well. almost as if he wasn't losing his prized get away driver. kevin smiled.

  
he would finally be free.

  
the mood went quiet once more and a shadow started to loom over the car, thinking it was ameer, he unlocked the door, but that wasn't the right move at all. 

  
all of the doors opened simultaneously and everyone was dragged out of the car. kevin's eyes widened in disbelief but before he could say anything he was being dragged as well. his body landed on the floor roughly and he could only catch a glimpse of what was happening.

  
there were many men dressed in black from head to toe with their faces unable to be seen. maybe 5 men in total? each one dragging one or two bodies at a time. each member squirming and trying to break free. but their tired bodies could barely put up a fight. kevin checked his surroundings feverishly. there were two cars and a van that were all black. when did these people get here? who were these people? 

"knock them out!" a voice belligerently ordered. that's when kevin heard the first pop, and then another. 

  
punches kevin guessed. kevin closed his eyes, hoping to seem passed out already. he assumed it work because he felt no painful jabs or punches. instead he felt a bag being put over his head. kevin held in a sigh of relief. 

"so this is the gang huh?" there was a ridiculing tone in the voice. "pathetic. get them there immediately. they'll pay for what they did."

but what did they do? kevin could only ponder. 

moments later he was being thrown onto a cold surface and the sound of a door shutting could be heard. the van. he was in a fucking van on his way to god knows where!

what happened to that character arc he just had a minute or two ago? he was supposed to be free. he was supposed to be left out of this lifestyle and on his way to a new beginning! but nothing is ever fair he guesses. 

for the time being, all kevin could do was wait. wait for what would happen, what would be done to them.

and that's what he did. 

the time it took to get to a location was all a blur. however, kevin does remember when they were let off in a strange place. kevin's breath was shallow as he tried to see through the small holes of the bag that was currently on top of his head. but he couldn't make out anything. 

  
he was left with another sense. hearing. he could hear a few different things. banging on doors. a faint scream of "let me out". and a few orders directed towards people. for example, "take away any posessions" or "take them to room 203". 

kevin guessed that applied to them because after a good minute of feeling hands on his body, checking and stripping away any object he may have, he felt himself being placed on a carpet floor. 

the last thing that was heard was a loud bang. it was probably the door. kevin lifted the bag from his head to check and he was indeed right. all he was left with were the motionless bodies of his friends and his thoughts. that night, kevin didn't sleep well.

kevin remembers when everyone woke up. the look of confusion painted their faces from the moment their eyes opened. everyone would ask 'what happened?' and 'where were they?'. but kevin couldn't find his voice. he lost it sometime he was put into the van. heck, probably earlier than that,

he felt bad that he could only sit there and watch everyone slowly ascend into madness from the boring white walls. 

at one point they completely lost their marbles and started to bang on the big metal door and scream for help. 

another day passed when they all woke up to food that was placed in the middle of the room and a note which read. 

'eat this cleverly. who knows when you'll eat again :)' 

that day, they barely ate as they were scared that they wouldn't have anything left for the future. 

the day after that, the tv turned on for the first time. it played reruns of old tv shows from the 80's and 90's. that one event made the boys go wild as they haven't experienced technology in days. they all sat there aimlessly as they watched the tv.

kevin didn't like it one bit. it was a distraction. it took their minds off of the matter at hand. they were trapped in an unknown location with no chance of escape. still, he said no words and stayed silent.

they were reminded of their status of confinement when the tv turned off and wasn't able to be turned on ever again. 

many other uneventful days passed. kevin honestly lost count. the boys were sat around the room, taking in the silence. there wasn't really anything to say. they didn't know what to do and the situation was truly helpless. they've finally grasped the severity of this hell they've been sent to.

when ian asked anyone if they remembered what happened, kevin wasn't surprised that they didn't remember. if anything he expected it. but the thing is that kevin truly didn't want to remember. sure, he acted calmly and stayed as safe as he could, but that was something he never wanted to think about ever again. 

*present time*

the gang sat there, amazed by kevin's story. they didn't move for a good two minutes to fully understand the information that was given to them. 

"my god..." dom finally spoke up. 

my god indeed. everyone was truly at a loss for words. this opened so many doors for them that they still didn't understand. many questions came with this. did hk and rob ever find out about them? who took them captive. and for the second damn time, where the hell was ameer?

ian's brain was filled with questions and follow-up questions to those questions. however, he put them aside for the time being. 

"i guess we have to find out more about this place. who brings in the food? how the door and the tv work, and is there anything in this room that we should be wary about..." 

heads turned towards ian. his statement did make sense, but how would they do that? 

"how do you expect us to do that, ian?" it was romil's voice this time. romil looked unconvinced that there was any way that they could do that. 

ian only shrugged. "there has to be at least one way. how do you think we did everything we did out there, romil? how did we steal? how did we not get caught?" 

"we planned it, i guess." merlyn piped in. 

"well let's do that." ian grinned.

"let's plan something."


	3. 2. zipper/johnny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I paid attention to warnings, but we were too caught up and transforming.

the plan was quite simple, but that didn't assure it would be easy. 

firstly, the boys would check the room closely for any signs of uncommon things. the walls, the flooring, anything that could possibly uncover something that would be helpful. even if it had to be the tv. it sounded like a stretch but that was all they had. 

next, they would stay on the lookout for anything that happens during the night. 

usually the lights were controlled. they had no way of telling time or the time of day. when the lights were on, they would assume it was day. and when the lights were off, they took it as a cue to sleep. 

by the time they all woke up there would be food and snacks placed neatly in the middle of the room. their plan was to find out who or what does that task and probably find a clue out of this damned place in the process. 

from there it was all set. 

ian and joba started. they looked warily around the room and felt up and down the walls for any indent or thing that would poke out. there would be false calls here and there but they would just continue on.

romil and matt then followed suit. they would look around the corners of the room for anything camera-like. they also checked the tv. it barely moved an inch but nothing was found.

you wouldn't want to be caught in the act of finding a way out so it was only pivotal that they weren't being watched. 

ciaran volunteered in checking the floors with dom and merlyn. the carpet felt thin and cheap under his fingers, almost as if it was a quick cover up for something. but that could just be all in his head. 

kevin doan sat quietly and still as his members searched the room. they have been searching for hours but doan couldn't find it in him to help. he's already lost hope. he stopped counting how long they've been gone after twelve days and who know how much more time has passed. 

romil looked around the room a few more times before he came to the realization that the coast was clear and there was no sign of any cameras. this was sketchy, why wouldn't you watch the people you imprisoned closely? it was almost as if this person knew that there was no way out. 

the boys wouldn't let that thought deter them. they checked and checked and checked until there wasn't anything to check anymore. they've hit some sort of dead end. 

"we've looked everywhere." dom sighed, defeated. he was obviously getting annoyed after what seemed like hours of looking around aimlessly. 

"there should be something." joba frowned. "there's no way that there's nothing here." 

"well where is it, huh, joba?! tell me! because i surely haven't seen shit!" dom screamed at the top of his lungs. the air grew thick as no one spoke. 

"i don't know dom, but..." joba couldn't form any words. he only looked down at the floor, eyes fixed on his feet. 

"now you can't say anything? it was you and ian that were coming up with all these ideas! now what, huh?" dom continued to speak harshly, his words like sharps knives that jabbed at all of the insecurities the room held. it only made the matter worse that everyone wanted to give up.

matt tried to calm things down but it only got more out of hand. harsh words were thrown around the room. they blamed each other for getting themselves in this hell hole. mostly ian, he was the leader of this group after all.

doan couldn't take this anymore. he stood up slowly and groaned as his muscles slightly ached. 

"what we're not going to do is fight each other." doan narrowed his eyes towards dom and joba, then the other members around the room. "i understand that we are in the midst of craziness right now, but i'm going to need you guys to chill." 

everyone stayed quiet, they were afraid to disrupt the wave of calmness (which was still tense) that washed over the room. but that only lasted for a minute before-

"what's that?" 

it was ciaran. he pointed towards where kevin was previously sitting. it was a small piece of metal that peeked out of the thin carpet. what was that?

ciaran slowly walked towards the piece before toying with it. he tugged on it halfheartedly then felt around it. was this?

"a zipper... it's a zipper." ciaran looked back at everyone to see that they were getting closer to him.

"a zipper?" matt was confused. "why the fuck would there be a zipper in a carpet?" 

everyone tried to get a good look at it as ciaran pulled the zipper handle down. under it was definitely not what the group of men were expecting. there was a metal trapdoor that was shut tight. on it was a thin button and a key hole, a small peep hole, and an inverted handle. no wonder they couldn't find anything. it was basically flat.

the first thought that came to ciaran was to check the the hole. obviously the door was locked ( well duh. why would they leave something like that unlocked?), so he could only resort to peeping in the hole.

it was pitch black. he couldn't see shit. ciaran sighed. of course he wouldn't be able to see anything. he sat up and looked at the button, this would be his last resort. 

he stared at the peep hole as he brought his hand up to the button. first he pressed it once. nothing happened.

he then pressed it twice. nothing happened.

then he pressed it three times. 

something happened. 

there was a strong and rapid blast of gas, it was cloudy and hit ciaran square in the face. ciaran fell back due to the impact. the gas reeked of chemical and vanilla. something that shouldn't be mixed together in his opinion.

"dude are you alright?!" romil's voice boomed through the room as he expressed his worry. the boys quickly rushed to ciaran's side.

that was a good question. was he alright? ciaran didn't feel out of the norm, he just felt shocked in all honesty. when he sat up to nod, however, he felt a sudden wave of nausea. 

the world around him would go out of focus and back in focus. when it went out of focus he saw things. he couldn't explain them, he couldn't tell if they were real or not. things crawling, faces creepily smiling at him, and other things that he couldn't decipher.

what was happening to him?

worried expressions never left the group's faces. 

"ciaran, can you hear me? are you okay?" romil tried to get ciaran's attention but he wouldn't look his way. 

ciaran would look around frantically with his eyes wide and his arms wrapped around his body. huge insect like figures crawled slowly towards him. pools of glowing neon painted the floor in various places. what was happening to him?

he turned to meet romil's face. he could see the male's lips move, but he couldn't hear a thing. ciaran's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"ciaran please. i don't know what you're seeing but please focus on me." romil slowly reached towards ciaran as he tried to coax him into his arms.

ciaran backed away slowly. romil's face would go from distorted to normal every other second and a half. he wasn't feeling well. actually he was never feeling well to begin with. everything was freaking him out. 

"ciaran." 

that wasn't romil's voice. it was a whisper and it sounded like it came from behind him. ciaran turned around cautiously and what he saw absolutely scarred him. 

it was tyron, a dear friends of his. but it couldn't have been. there was no way.

tyron had been dead for years. 

romil watched as ciaran yelped before falling back like a dead weight. 

"shit." romil checked his pulse as the members rushed to ciaran's side. 

"is he alright?" kevin doan asked, clearly alarmed. if anything, ciaran was one if the only members he truly sought comfort in. there was no way that he was losing him.

romil checked for a couple more seconds before coming to his conclusion. "he's knocked out, probably from something he saw."

"but what could he have seen? there's nothing here." ian questioned.

"whatever the gas was that he got hit with must've caused him to hallucinate. he couldn't hear what I was saying either, so obviously that gas is strong as hell." romil then proceeded to tuck a pillow under ciaran's head. 

kevin placed a blanket over ciaran then sighed. the room felt still. everyone sat in utter silence as they watched ciaran sleep. it's the most peaceful he's ever looked. 

"well." matt intervened the room's quiet state. "i think we should leave him to rest and continue with our plan. we need to cover that thing up and get ready for a overnighter." 

the group agreed. they would just have to deal with ciaran when he wakes up.

when ciaran's eyes opened, he wasn't trapped in a boring room with his friends. instead, he was on a bed in a room that looked all too familiar. 

south central.

ciaran sat up calmly. he then took a deep breath. something didn't feel right. sure, he already knew that there was no way he could be in south central (they moved out a couple of months ago) but, there was something even more off. 

"hey..." 

ciaran turned his head to the voice. it was tyron again. the taller male was standing near his door. he felt a small pang in his chest. why was he here? why was he trying to talk to him? 

"what do you want tyron? what's so special about this occasion that you actually talk back to me?" 

it was no secret that everyday since tyron's death, ciaran would see him in his dreams. he'd scream to him, talk to him for closure that he would never get. tyron would just stand there and watch dream ciaran fall apart. 

his death must've taken the biggest toll on ciaran out of everyone. 

the two were inseparable whenever they were together. they would mess around and party together, steal together, share beds, you name it.

to brockhampton, they were known as bearthai. it was a mix of their street names; bearface and slowthai. 

ciaran remembers the day when they first told each other that they loved each other. they had been friends for years and never really did anything sappy with one another, but that day was special. it was the closest they've ever felt. 

but a week after that, tyron disappeared. no one knew where he was and he wouldn't pick up his phone. ciaran was worried sick. his bestfriend was no where to be seen and he had no way of getting through to him. he tried going out and looking for him in all the places they would go to. bars and empty lots, but tyron was still nowhere to be seen. 

it wasn't until months after that all news outlets covered the story. 

'wanted criminal known as 'slowthai' found dead this morning.'

it was like ciaran lost his lifeline that day. he refused to believe it and he hid in his room. the same room that tyron said he loved him in. ciaran couldn't take the pain from that day or the days that followed.

seeing tyron now didn't affect him as much as it would've all of those years ago, but ciaran couldn't help the pangs of hurt in his heart that felt a bit too real.

tyron sighed. he caught on to the pain he was causing by being there. 

"i'm here to help you, ciaran." tyron took a step forward only for ciaran move away. 

"with what?" ciaran's voice came out rather bitter. by every second, he would fill up with more and more anger. 

tyron continued to step forward until he was standing at the edge of ciaran's bed.

"i know where you're trapped and i will help you escape the best way I can." 

ciaran blinked. what?

"how would you know that?" ciaran's eyes narrowed. none of this made any fucking sense.

"that's beyond the point and i don't have much time. i need you to tell the others what i'm going to tell you so that you guys can escape." tyron reached for ciaran's face and he palmed his cheek gently. "you guys can't end up like me." 

ciaran let out a shaky sigh. 

"okay." ciaran came to terms with the situation. "fine. i'll listen. i'll tell them everything."

tyron opened his mouth to say something. ciaran interrupted him.

"but you have to promise me that when i sleep again, you'll be here again, too." 

tyron could only coo and give ciaran a sorry smile. 

"aw." tyron sat on the edge of the bed, allowing ciaran to rest his head on his shoulder.

"i promise, bear." 

meanwhile, the members had gathered their blankets and pillows and made a small circle as they usually did. they sat as they waited for the lights to go off, occasionally having small talk here and there.

ciaran was still asleep and the atmosphere was uneasy. ian sighed.

"remember... remember back when we'd all just sit in the living room and talk?" 

everyone's attention turned towards their leader. they all nodded.

merlyn spoke up. "but that was when we were safe, ian. we had almost nothing to worry about either. but it's different now. our lives are on the line, man."

ian groaned. "enough about that. we'll find a way. but, i can't have everyone act so goddamn tense all the time."

the room grew quiet. ian was sick of it.

"joba?" ian called. joba looked up, surprised to hear his name being called. 

"yeah?"

"when was the last time you sang for us?" 

joba had to think for a bit. "sometime earlier this year. why?"

"can you start us off? sing something that we might know." ian glanced towards joba, eyes filled with hope. joba nodded and thought for a bit more before letting out his first lyric.

"when i imagine myself on acid i take step backwards and find those to lap itself. even dance a pound around my silent thoughts who had the crown, don't let life pass yourself." joba started. the members instantly caught on. 

it was johnny. a freestyle song they made back when they were sat in their living room with no power. romil and merlyn would do the beat and the members would spew whatever emotions they were feeling at that moment. kevin would just watch.

ian started a verse. then dom followed. after dom, matt. and the energy went from there. the mood seemed to lighten up as they continued with the song.

ian should seriously invest in this but that's for another discussion.

soon it was joba's turn to go. joba let ian finish his chorus before starting.

"i'm a shithead son, and i'm bad at growing up. my life ain't been the same, since my dog died, since my girl left. i quit drinking and drugging and still can't get ahead. been at a loss for words. it seems i'm destined to fall apart when i'm depressed." 

the beat came to a halt. instead the members sat and listened to joba's words, letting him spill his emotions. joba still continued even with the sudden silence. 

"it's all a test, scream at god from my bedside. i glue my hands together, life's got me hog-tied. there's no applause in the game of life, i just bought a car and a new house, here's the cost to prove it. i spin a little wheel when i'm feeling moody."

ciaran slowly rose up from deep his sleep to the scene of his members sat in circle. no one seemed to notice as he too began to pay attention to joba's words. the emotions of joba's heavy lyrics seeped into the room with no mercy.

they were heavy but somehow uplifting. it was uplifting to know that someone was opening up for once. to know that their emotions of feeling trapped and confined were reciprocated and they truly weren't as alone as they thought. 

"anxious, impatient and always wanting something different. i hate the way i'm feeling. i'm sick of chasing feelings." joba ended and the room felt still.

not in a cramped way, but in relief and calmness. like a breath of fresh air after drowning for so long. all that could be heard was their breathing.

the lights abruptly turned off. 

the second plan on their to do list was now in action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well that was long as hell smh. thank you so much for stopping by and reading, it means a lot to me.


	4. 3. bleach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i ain't giving up, you should set it off. tell me "time is up". let the water run, let my body run.

all the boys could do was wait. wait for something to happen or for something to come.

it was mostly silent. sure, there were small bits of conversation here and there, but other than that it was silent. it was like no one knew what to say. the air was dense. 

ian was sick of it. he was tired of no one speaking. he was tired of having nothing to take his mind off of this damned situation they have found themselves in. 

ian sighed. that sigh turned into an annoyed groan. he was tired, he truly was.

how were they supposed to get through the night like this?

"so y'all just not gonna say anything?" ian asked. he was clearly ticked off to the max. 

"what is there to say?" it was kevin doan. doan sat with his arms crossed. "we're stuck here with no entertainment and it's not like the mood of this whole thing helps." 

that was true. the tv barely turned on and this ominous atmosphere they always found themselves within didn't help at all. but that shouldn't deter them to the point of not being able to socialize as normal human beings.

"still." ian remarked. "we're friends. we've been friends for the longest. we should be able to find something to speak about without all of this fucking tension!"

everyone watched as ian slowly lost his marbles. ian hid his face as he breathed in and out slowly. everyone watched in pity. they then looked around to each other to see if anybody would speak. when no one found the balls to, ciaran breathed in.

"i..." he started. "i saw tyron." 

ian's head rose up slowly. "what?" 

"in my dream, tyron, he... he talked to me. he said that he could help us." ciaran realized how ridiculous it sounded out loud and he wouldn't dare to lift his head. 

"ciaran, we've been over this." ian sighed. 

it's true. they have. everyday, ian would be by ciaran's side since tyron's death would haunt ciaran immensely. ian knew about ciaran's dreams, ciaran's fear of commiting to more friendships, another friend of his dying, and so on.

however, as time went on, ciaran learned to live with it. he slowly became himself again. ian watched as ciaran started to open up again, and seek friendships with others. by now, tyron seemed like something that came up only once in a blue moon. hearing ciaran say tyron's name only made ian concerned. and this honestly wasn't the best time.

"he meant a lot to you, trust me, i know. but this seems a bit too-"

"i know what i saw." ciaran's voice rose slightly as he retaliated. his temper grew by the second.

"i see where ian is going with this." merlyn chimed in. "you did trip off gas before you passed out."

"and there is a possibility you hallucinated and received a concussion in the process." dom also added. 

that was it.

"no!" ciaran stood up. "i know i sound crazy, but you will not tell me what i saw." 

"ciaran..." joba tried to reach for ciaran's hand only for his own to be swatted away. 

"he took me to my room in south central, and he, he talked to me for the first time. he knew where we are... he told me all these things that could help us out!" ciaran looked to each member frantically. they stared back at him with pitiful eyes. ciaran scoffed. 

ian tried to interject. "ciaran, we all miss tyron. but, i think you're relapsing-" 

"_**NO **_!" ciaran screeched, taking everyone in the room aback. ciaran wasn't the type to be so loud when he was angry or emotional. heck, he barely showed emotion in the first place.

"i'm not going to sit here and listen to you guys tell me that all of that had no significance!" 

kevin doan stood up carefully. "ciaran, calm down."

ciaran inhaled then exhaled. his anger subsided and his face dropped

"i just... I need you guys to believe me."

"i believe you, ciaran. i do, alright?" kevin slowly approached the shorter male. with cautious steps, kevin held ciaran's hand. "and we'll **ALL** hear you out." kevin gave a pointed gaze to the other males in the room. 

the males around the room all nodded shallowly as kevin got ciaran to sit back in his previous spot. 

"how do i know that you guys won't just make me look foolish?" 

"you gotta prove it, ciar." matt spoke softly. he could see what position ciaran was in. he knew what it felt like to just want to be heard, he's held his tongue back too many times to not know the feeling. 

ciaran took another deep breath. he will. 

ciaran stood up. "okay, i'll try." 

the members watched as ciaran walked over to a wall at the far left of the room. they gathered around him but made sure to give him space. 

ciaran looked behind him and was met with expecting faces. "one thing ty told me was that there is something behind this wall." 

"but, i'm pretty sure we checked all of these walls." romil insisted. 

"we did, but not well apparently." ciaran turned back around and gave a jab to a part of a wall. it was solid. 

he then punched around some more in various spots before finding himself in the lowest part in the right corner. the males then heard a light knocking sound. it was hollow.

the males expressed their surprise with chants of "yo, what the fuck" and "how the hell?" 

ciaran smiled, however he quickly recovered himself before continuing with the task at hand. "now, there will be a box behind this part of the wall. we just have to be quick to get it and cover it up." 

with that statement, the boys got to work. they punched with no mercy until a small panel of wood fell back, uncovering a hole in the wall. behind that wall was indeed a box. 

the males stared at the box with their mouths agape. it was real? 

ciaran himself had a small feeling of disbelief. the biggest smile slowly graced his features. "he's really talking to me..." ciaran spoke to himself. ian couldn't help but feel bad.

ian sighed. he felt so bad. "ciaran.. i'm sorry." ian apologized. 

"don't apologize." ciaran shook his head. "c'mon let's open it." ciaran grabbed the box before placing the wooden panel back in the wall, covering the hole.

with the box, the males walked back towards their pillows and blankets. they sat in a circle and watched as ciaran opened the box carefully. 

the box had a few latches. it took a bit for ciaran to open the box and he grew a bit impatient. 

when it finally opened however, he was met with the following:

a pocket knife, a pair of keys, and a note. 

he dumped the items out and the males stared at the items in confusion. ciaran reached for the note then read it aloud. 

_"hello :). if you are reading this, then you are closer to escaping. a bit too close might i add. good job. you may be wondering why you are here, but that is something for you to figure out. as you may have seen, you now have a knife and keys in your possession. there will be many instances where these items will be needed." _

dom picked up the knife carefully and examined it, showing it the curious members. ciaran continued to read. 

"but for now i leave you with this: 

_a man brings food on a platter of wood_

_to make sure you are fed and good._

_your bodies are checked for anything obscure_

_to make sure you stay here, safe and secure._

_if amidst his task you are caught_

_there is a fine chance that you all will be shot._

stay safe and maybe you'll see your way out :)." 

and that's where the note ended. the males sat in silence trying to wrap there heads around what they just heard. matt stood up, his eyebrows furrowed. 

"if amidst his task you are caught..." matt muttered under his breath. "there is a fine chance you all will be shot..." the members stared at matt as he paced. 

"ciar, in your dream, did tyron ever tell you how he died?" matt stopped in his tracks to face ciaran. 

ciaran nodded quickly. "yeah, he said he was... shot." 

matt hummed. "and he must've been gone for a good month before he died. my guess is that he got caught with the items he found."

"the question is how will we not get caught?" romil questioned. "the note says we will be checked, right? if that's how this is going then it'll be impossible."

matt thought for a bit. "well, we'll have to try." he sat back down with his bedding and put his blanket over his legs. 

"in that case." merlyn started. "i call dibs on the knife." merlyn quickly grabbed the knife before tucking himself under his blanket. 

ian sighed the reached for the keys. "i guess i'll take the key-" 

beeps could be heard from the door. ian quickly snatched the keys. the members frantically tucked themselves under their covers and put their heads on their pillows. the door made a loud screech before slowly sliding open. 

the breathing of another person could be heard. 

the footsteps of another person could be heard. 

ian opened one eye in a squint to see who the person may be. the person was indeed a man holding a tray of snacks just like the other times. the door stayed open behind the man. ian then looked towards the closest members in proximity from where he was facing. 

merlyn was faced away from the door and his eyes were wide open. the knife was still in his hand... he was so fucked. he felt himself panic. 

ian saw the man place the tray down before making his way over to the group. he shut his eyes and heard as the man would come closer and closer.

dom was the first to feel hands on him. he kept his eyes shut and calmed him breathing down. whoever this was, they were definitely looking for the items. soon after, the hand left his body and held back a sigh of relief. 

the cycle continued as the members pretended to be asleep. the hands check for anything that was out of line. ian controlled his breathing as he felt the man come closer to him. 

ian opened one eye slightly to check on merlyn. the smaller man's eyes were now closed and he held the knife closer to his chest than before. 

when ian felt hands on him, he slightly froze before regulating his breathing. it was a rather hard thing to do due to the fact that he was panicking inside. how are they going to get through this? why are the even here?

hands roamed his body for a few more seconds before they moved onto the next person. 

merlyn. 

ian felt like he was going to be sick. they were going to get caught and they were going to die. he was going to die in the hands of people he didn't know without any reason why. the thoughts of his death upon him made him even more nauseous. 

he could feel his heart beat harshly against his chest.

he could hear this beat loud in his ear. 

he could taste his demise coming in the next second.

suddenly a loud thud could be heard... which was followed by a loud wail...

but it wasn't merlyn who was crying. 

ian shot up from his bed and the sight he saw definitely scarred him for life. 

merlyn was sat up, knife in hand. the knife was inside of the other man's stomach. merlyn was heaving, his eyes wide open as he realized what he had just done. 

the room was quiet.

"smart." the man chuckled bitterly, his breathing labored due to the pain. "too smart." 

the man slowly pulled the knife out of his body and crimson splattered onto the floor. blood. 

"you can't be caught if i'm dead." he sighed and started to limp towards the door. the group stayed glued to their spot as the watched the scene, unable to move. 

the man then walked out of the room and pressed something on the door. the door started to close and the group could see the man fall to his knees as the door banged closed. 

kevin took in a deep breath. he felt like he was going to lose it. no, he was going to lose it. 

merlyn just killed someone. 

and doing that made them closer to freedom.


End file.
